What exactly do influencers do and how can it help your business? Influencers are the “it” girls and boys of promotions everywhere. There is a cacophony of Instagrammers, Twitterers, and Pinners, sharing their points of view with their audiences. Agencies and companies hire them based on their following, influence, and engagement. Most marketing companies have budgets for influencer programs for all kinds of promotions. But is all this effort really effective? Yes, It Is! It’s simple, if you want eyeballs to your products and services, you need to engage influencers! The first thing a company wants to know is who can make their products and services get the necessary engagement. It’s a dream to have loyal followers that recommend, share and post for the love of your products and not for payment. So How Can You Achieve This? Being both an agency and an influencer gives me a good view from both sides of the fence. Here’s an insider’s look at what makes me want to promote a brand and what doesn’t! Full disclosure: I don’t get paid for influencing but I have accepted gifts on occasion. Reasons to Promote a Product: Trust: Your products and services should inspire trust from the beginning. The promise should be obvious and consistent with those that follow it. If I read positive posts from other influencers, I will be more eager to promote you and “tell” my followers about you. I am a Starbucks follower for many reasons besides coffee. One of them is that it offers a community. If everyone else is drinking and sitting in the shops, it must be a reliable brand. Benefits: How useful is your product? How timely is it? I spend lots of time tweeting and promoting Flipboard. That’s because I see the long-term global benefits of the app for my business. If there is a clear-cut benefit, then I am very likely to promote a product. Comfort: This relates more to your brand’s customer service and reliability. You want to have your systems in place in case something goes wrong. For example, I was traveling to Los Angeles from London on American Airlines and my luggage didn’t make it. I tweeted them out, the response was immediate, and my luggage arrived shortly after. Tribe: Building a relationship with like-minded people is the icing on the cake. When promoting a product, it’s a great feeling to find commonality with my peers. I am grateful to share something of interest. I like organic foods and will support and endorse any Non-GMO products. Interaction: The best reward you can offer an influencer is showing them that you care by sharing their posts, acknowledging them, and always remember to treat influencers with kindness. After all, they are doing you a favor. What Influencers Shy Away From: Spam: People or brands that pretend to be something that they are not and keep insisting on my good graces. Ingratitude: Sorry to be curt about this! But an influencer does not owe you anything. Some of us choose to promote because we believe in you and your products. Please do not take us for granted. Short Sighted Vision: Not working with influencers long term. A quick project doesn’t go very far. Build long-term partnerships with your influencers to gain traction for your...